Let us Yoga while the cake bakes!

Born out of desperation our Yoga and Baking mornings have got off to a fine beginning. My dear friend Laura had lost all hope in gluten free baking so Peta and I decided we should right this wrong, gather, set a baking mission and of course do some yoga :-) with that our Wild Laurel mornings were initiated.
 We would choose a recipe, make said recipe and while it was in the oven we would Yoga to the delicious nose tingling delights of our baking magic. Let's just say it could not go wrong.

Today's recipe is from Susan Jane White's The Extra Virgin Kitchen

Praline Cupcakes
1/2 cup Cocoa Powder (I used Raw Cacao)
1/4 Coconut Flour
I teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 cup raw agave/ honey
3 Tablespoons almond butter or Soya Yogurt
3 eggs beaten
5 tablespoons Coconut Oil melted
1 tablespoon Tamari
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Praline Frosting
2/3 cup Cashew Butter
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
2 teaspoons Tamari
taste if you like a little more salt and add tamari accordingly


Preheat oven to 180'/160'fan or 350'F
Sift Cocoa, coconut flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.

Beat together, sweetener with Almond butter or soya yogurt with a large balloon whisk and blend in all remaining ingredients.

Add the wet mix to the dry and blend thoroughly with the balloon whisk until silky smooth.

Prepare your muffin trays with cupcake liners or as we did use brilliant star and heart shaped silicon muffin cups.
Mixture will be super runny so trying not to cover everything in this deliciousness, finding any excuse to lick all bowls and spoons repeatedly! Fill each cup about 2.5 cm

Cook for max 20 mins but keep an eye on them as ours cooked pretty quick and our second batch that we cooked less were more delectable. Coconut flour can be a little sticky in the mouth so these cupcakes need to be super moist to enjoy their decedent healthiness.

Mix frosting ingredients and smoother each little star with a heap of paradise.

Tip: The extra virgin chef states not to use maple, barley malt or brown rice syrup as sweetener in the mixture because it "misbehaves" with the coconut flour.
Coconut flour behaves unlike any other flour so don't substitute it with another flour, it won't work!

We baked 30 and devoured rather a lot of them with coyo and fruit.
Amazingness on all accounts……………

Everybody's Easter Cookies

It's safe to say I like to bake, Friday has surreptitiously become the day for exploring new recipes and creating divinely delicious treats to healthily indulge in over the weekend.
This weekend I spent in the countryside visiting my God daughter Eleanora. Her mother, who has proclaimed total apathy towards baking leaves it up to me to cut the cookie dough.
But…."no eggs, no gluten, no nuts and no sugar"  Perfect, Just how I like it!

125g Vegan Margarine or Goats butter
4 tbsp Coconut Palm Sugar
I tsp Vanilla Essence
150g Gluten free flour
70g Self raising Gluten free flour

I am certainly not aspiring to be Heston but I am an explorer and love to experiment and mix it up. This was a basic biscuit recipe that I have gently doctored to meet the health requirements I desire without compromising on the taste.
I'd rather just lick maple syrup out of the bowl than eat a cookie that didn't cut it.

Keep the heat low. the slower you cook them the more shortbready they become.
I say 175'C but you could probably go lower.
Mix butter, sugar and vanilla in to a smooth paste
Sift in the flour
Roll mixture into a log and refrigerate for 30 mins or so
Then cut cookie sized slices roll in your hands to soften and flatten on to a cookie tray.
Press a fork in to the top to make a nice home made pattern.
Or for a special occasion roll out the dough to 1cm thickness and use fun cookie cutters. I am a stars and hearts fan myself.
Place in the oven for 15 mins or until golden, Turning them once during baking.

Everybody loves an easter cookie :-)